A Rare Glimpse Inside the FICO Credit Score Formula

May 1, 2012

Like the formula for Coca-Cola , the FICO credit scoring formula is a closely guarded secret. The Fair Isaac Corporation, however, does give us a glimpse into the secret sauce from time to time. For example, Fair Isaac has disclosed what factors go into its scoring model and the weight to be given each factor: [...]

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Why Passive Investors Should Become Stock Pickers

April 30, 2012

When I started investing 20 years ago, I was terrified of the idea of investing in individual stocks. My parents never taught me about the stock market, and all that I knew was what I read in books. So when I started investing, I invested in stock and bond mutual funds. I did so poorly [...]

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What Certificate of Deposit is Right for You?

April 27, 2012

I began investing in certificates of deposit when I was 13. Back then (yes, we had color TV and telephones) there were just two options when it came to picking a CD: the term and the amount of money you wanted to invest. Today, things are a bit more complicated. The good news is that [...]

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3 Reasons to Cheer a Market Drop

April 26, 2012

Over the past two years I’ve started investing in individual stocks. I’ll talk about why I made that decision in another post. But the change for me has had some interesting consequences. The most significant consequence is that I watch stock prices much more closely. And like many investors, it’s great to watch the market [...]

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Chase Freedom Review – The Perfect Credit Card?

April 25, 2012

I’ve been reviewing credit cards for a good number of years now. And throughout it all, I’ve found it very difficult to pick the best all around card. The difficulty is that the best credit cards typically excel at one feature, like having a low interest rate, the longest 0% offer, or the best rewards. [...]

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Medicare ‘As We Know It’ Dead in 2024

April 24, 2012

So this is a good news, bad news, more bad news, and really bad news situation. The good news is that the financial stability (or lack thereof) of medicare and social security haven’t changed much since last year. I’m afraid the good news stops there. The bad news is that Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) [...]

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Zip Through Airport Security for $100

April 23, 2012

Having just returned from vacation, the ordeal of navigating airport security is fresh on my mind. While we made it through in reasonable time, I know from past experience that it can take well over an hour. For many the wait may be over, as the Transportation Security Administration begins to roll out a program [...]

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The Price for Living in a Good School District? $205,000

April 20, 2012

The Brookings Institute recently released a study (pdf) on the cost of housing in good school districts. The study was of particular interest to me because of a case I worked on in law school dealing with the inequality of public school funding. Basically, because schools are funded in large part from real estate taxes, [...]

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What’s New for IRA Retirement Accounts (2012)

April 19, 2012

Each year the IRS puts out a comprehensive guide to Individual Retirement Arrangements (I always thought IRA stood for Individual Retirement Accounts, but it’s Arrangements). Called IRS Publication 590, it was last released on December 16, 2011. It covers new rules for both 2011 and 2012. Because the deadline for 2011 IRA contributions was April [...]

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